EDITOR’S NOTE: The following address was delivered by Town Council President Fred Chirigotis at the May 30 Memorial Day Ceremonies at Beechwood Cemetery in Centerville.

Today we stand together, united in our gratitude, our respect and our love for the women and men who have sacrificed their lives for us, for our freedoms, for the United States of America.

Soldiers live by a code: Honor – Duty – Country. Those who gave their lives in service to America did not question the code, nor did they question the call; when it came, they answered it. They did not ask: “How much will I have to give?” They gave their all and paid a price far beyond what we could ever ask or ever repay.

The words of every fallen soldier are the same: “Take care of my family” and “Tell them I love them.” For those who have fallen, never to rise again, we are indebted beyond measure. The request is simple and the obligation is obvious. Today we honor and recognize the soldiers buried beneath these green fields and we pledge to live up to our part of the bargain.

But our debt will not be paid in full thereby, for we owe an equal, perhaps greater measure (if that is possible) to those soldiers who have fallen and now struggle to rise.

No soldier returns from war without wounds, and no soldier should go to the grave in pieces because we failed to put him back together.

Our duty is to provide for our soldiers, to lift up each one with proper, thorough and complete medical care, housing, jobs, education. Our duty is to give our soldiers the tools they need, on and off the battlefield, so that they stand strong whatever the challenge.

Let us remove our caps, drop on bended knee and pay tribute to those soldiers who lie in eternal rest and let us honor them by honoring our commitment to take care of them and their families.